The Statistical Abstract began publication in 1879 under the Statistics Bureau of the Treasury Department.
Upon that office's incorporation into the Statistics Bureau of the Commerce Department in 1903, the Statistical
Abstract started appearing under the C 14.16: call number. In 1912 the Statistics Bureau became part of
the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, and during the late 1930s, the Statistical Abstract was transferred
to the previously established Bureau of the Census, where it remains to this day.
In the early 1970s, Census publications were briefly reclassed in the C 56.200s, with the Statistical Abstract
being classed as C 56.243: (although that happened after the scope of this finding list).
The Statistical Abstract was intended to provide a "basic reference guide to the statistical tables issued
by the U. S. Government agencies as well as private firms and research organizations." In the mid-twentieth century,
additional titles have evolved
from this basic reference tool, such as the Congressional District Data Book, the County and City Data Book, and
Historical Statistics of the United States.